Push bar



Dec, 17, 1940. E. R. ERICKSON PUSH BAR Filed Dec. 11, 1959 ATTORNEYSPatented Dec. 17, 1940 PATENT OFFICE i PUSH BAR Ernest R.. Erickson, DesMoines, Iowa, assignor to C. E. Erickson Company, Incorporated, DesMoines, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application December 11, 1939,Serial No. 308,729

5 Claims.

My invention has reference to that class of devices used by attachmentto the stiles of a door to form a horizontal cross member by which thedoor can conveniently be pushed open.

An object of my invention is to provide a push bar of the type abovereferred to which can be readily adapted to doors of various widths.

Another object is to provide a construction in which the principalstructural elements are parfticularly adapted for carrying anadvertising or sales promotion message, or other printed or decorativematter.

In View of the last mentioned object, a further object is to provide aconstruction in which the principal structural elements above mentionedcan be readily interchanged.

Another object is to provide a barfconstructed with end extensionelements in which the assembly shall be rm and rigid and in which theparts can be maintained in assembled relation by a minimum number ofbolts.

With these and other objects in view, my in' vention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing. Although rthe invention is susceptible of avariety of embodiments, O it is necessary to fully describe andillustrate more than one in order to give a full understanding of theinvention both from its structural and functional standpoinfts.`Accordingly,

I have illustrated a preferred and desirable embodiment of the inventionin the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a door with a push bar embodying myinvention represented as attached to the door.

n Figure 2 is a top plan View of my device, a part of the figure beingin horizontal section.

Figure 3 is a view, partly in vertical section, taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 ofFigure 3; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 3.

In the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeral I toindicate generally a door of the type with which my device is commonlyused. The door I0 has vertical stiles I2 and I4 to which my push bar isattached by screws I6. Such an installation is commonly made on thedoors of grocery stores and mar- 55 kets, both to provide attractiveornamentation therefor and to protect the glass from fingermarks, etc.

It has become a practice among bakeries and other wholesale purveyors offoodstuffs to furnish door pushes of this type to grocery stores, andadvertising or sales promotion message with relation to certain foodproducts being displayed on the bar or attached thereto. Obviously, sucha device must incorporate some arrangement whereby it can be adapted todoors of various widths.

Furthermore, in view of the fact that the back side of the push bar canbe viewed throughsthe glass in the door, or through the screen wire,when fthe bar is used on a screen door, it is desirable to place amessage or decoration on that side of the bar as Well as on the moreexposed side. In case the two messages are not the same, it may bedesirable to locate one of them on the back or front of the baraccording to 20 whether the bar will face fthe inside of the store ortoward the outside. For example, the message Thanksl Call Againl shouldbe faced so that it is read by a customer going out through the doorupon leaving the store. If the push bar is located on the inside of ascreen door, then the message above quoted should be located on the sideof the bar away from the screen. On the other hand, if the bar is to beaiiixed to the outside of the glass door, then 3 the quoted messageshould be on the side of the bar next to fthe glass. Therefore it isdesirable to have a construction wherein the desired message can beconveniently mounted on either side of the bar, or whereby a desiredcombination of messages can be assembled to make up a bar.

In the detailed views showing my push bar, the numerals I8 and 20indicate generally a pair of plates, the shape of which is best shown inthe cross sectional view'of Figure 5. As there 40 shown, plate 20comprises a iiat front portion 22, and beveled edge portions 24, whichconstitute a flange giving strength Vand rigidity to the plate. Theedges of the beveled portions 24 terminate in inturned iianges 26. Theplates I8 45 and 20 are identical as to their cross sectional shape,and, as shown in Figure 5, they are located back to back, fthe iianges26 being adjacent. This adjacent relationship is maintained by caps 28and 30 which engage the ends 50 of the plates I8 and 20 and hold themtogether.

The assembly thus far described constitutes the central portion of mypush bar. It is supported on stiles I2 and I4 by the extension membersindicated generally as 32. 'I'he latter have 55 a foot portion 34 withperforations 36 to receive the screws I6. Extending at an angle from thefoot portion 34, is a portion 38 whereby the bar is spaced away from thedoor. The portion 38 connects with a longitudinally extending portion 40which is formed in cross section as shown in Figure 4. The shape thereinindicated gives greater strength and rigidity to the member than itwould have if it were a ilat plate. The portion 48 of the extensionmembers 32 passes through a slot 42 in the caps 28 and 3. At the innerend, the portion 40 is provided at top and bottom edges with hookedends, the conformation of which is shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5. It willbe seen in Figure 5 that along the greater portion of the length of thepant` 40 of the extension members 32, the outer edges 44 lie along theinside facev of the flanges 25 on the plate I8. At the inner end of thepart 40 however, the edge 44 is bent as shown at 46 in Figure 2, and isprovided with a notch 48` whereby it engages the inturned flanges' 28 onthe plates I3L and 2D. The engagement/of` the notches i8 with theflanges 26 accomplishes two` results. In the rst place, it'lachievesgreat rigidity of the extension members 32 with`re spect to the centralassembly" comprising plates I8 and2ll and the caps 28' and 39. The innerend of the extension members 32`isguidedbythe coaction of the ilanges28i with the notches (18, and the outer end by the passage through theslots 42 in the caps 28% and 3W. Ak secondi result is that spreading ofthe mid pontions` off the plates I8 and 2liv is prevented, because theplates are iirmly held together intermediate their ends by the fact thatthe notches 48' embrace the iianges 26 `on both plates I8 and 2U.

Adjustment of the push bar to t' doors of various widths is accomplishedby slidingA the `extension members 32` throughA the caps` 28 and 30, andthe desired extension is maintained by passage of the bolts 50 throughthe caps 28 and 30, plates I8 and 20 and suitable holes 52 in theparts48 of the extension members3'2`.

The flat portions 22 of? the plates I-'8- and 20 are well adaptedforcarrying a sales `mes-` sage; which may be applied by lithographing,silk screen process or i'nany other suitable manner. In actualproduction, in order to` make the costs as low as possible, it isdesirable tomake up these separate plates in large quantities withvarious printed matter thereon. A pair ofplates having the desiredcombination. of. messages `can then; be conveniently assembled' withlthev caps 28 and` 3B andthe extension members. 32.: In-

asmuch as the plates I8 and 20X are' identical in.

shape, they may be reversed orl interchanged` in position so that adesired` sales .message can' be made to face either inwardlyoroutward'ly withy respect toi the mounting surface; The completeassembly is held in neat. and rigid form" by only two bolts. A4 deviceAis thusv provided; the parts of which can be economically made up bylarge production methods, and` which can be readily adapted to ll thevarying requirements of different applications.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose ofmy invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modiiiedforms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may bereasonably included within their SCOpe.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an extensible push bar, a pair of elongated plates, inwardlydirected llanges along the longitudinal edges of said plates, capsengaging :the ends of said plates to retain them in position with saidflanges in adjacent relation, slots in said caps and extension memberspassing through said slots, said extension members having notches attheir inner ends, said notches embracing the flanges on said plates.

2. In an extensible push bar, a pair of elongated plates, bevelledlongitudinal edges on said plates, inwardly? directed flanges .along`said edges, means retaining saidnplates in position with saidEiiangeslin'` adjacent. relation, support members, each havinga portion`extending between said plates,y andf notches on said portions of saidxmembers, saidl notches" embracing the ilanges on said plates.H

3. An` extensible push. bar consisting of a pair of similarly shaped'elongatedf plates, offset longitudinal edges on said; plates, inwardlydirected anges along said edgescaps` engaging the ends of said plates toretain said platesvin relative positionnwith the flanges on' one plateadjacentthe correspondinganges on the other,

slots in'said caps, extension membersslidably passing through said.'slots, said extension: members having' apair'of notches at their innerends, each ofsaid notches embracing a pair of said ilanges,longitudinally' `spaced perforations in said extension means, `and tiemeans passing through said plates and through said perforations; i

4. In: a push bari, al pair ofi panel members, offset. longitudinaliedges on said panels, inwardly directed anges along said edges, meansretaining said panels' in: relative position with the flanges on one`panel adjacent the corresponding flanges on the otherpanel, a supportmember slidably extending between said panels, and a` notch in saidsupportV member embracing a pair of said flanges.

5. A. push bar consisting of a pair ci" elongated plates,iinwardlydirected flanges along the longitudinal edges ofl said", plates, meansfor clamping said'r plates `in oppositely faced adjacent relation withsaid flanges together to form a hollow centralvmember;` guide means atthe ends of said-hollow centrar member; supporting elements passingkthrough said` guide means into `said hollow central member, and notcheson the inner ends. of said supporting elements, said notchesslida'blyfembraclng.adjacent pairs of said flanges."

ERNEST Rl ERICKSON.

